Chain



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. E. HARTHAN.

CHAIN. EE Patented Sept. 29, 1896.

WITNESSES:

- ATTORNEY.

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(No Model.)

2 Sheets- -Sheet 2.

O. E. HARTHAN.

I CHAIN.

Patented Sept. 29, 1896.

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UNITED ST TES PATENT QFFICE.

CHARLES E. HARTI-IAN, 0F LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE THOMSON ELECTRIC WELDING COMPANY, OF MAINE.

'CIHAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,531, dated September 29, 1896.

Application filed April 16, 1890. Serial No. 348,164. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. HARTHAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chains, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of chains; and it consists of a chain made from loops of wire electrically welded at their joint and bent or doubled to form the several links of the chain, as hereinafter more fully described.

My invention consists also in a particular conformation of link, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4c, and 6 illustrate successive stages in the manufacture of a chain such as illustrated in Fig. 5. Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate modifications in the process of manufacturing. Fig. 9 shows a modified form of link, and Fig. 10 a chain made with such form of link. Fig. 11 shows a further modification in the form of the link, and Fig. 12 the chain composed of such links.

To form the loop, which is bent or doubled to constitute the link of the chain, I take a suitable length of wire, such as indicated in Fig. 1, and bend the same into the form of an oblong loop, Fig. 2, with its ends abutting or in close proximity, as at a. are then electrically welded together to form the closed loop, Fig. 3. This welding is done by passing an electric current through the ends at the point where they are abutted until the metal at the joint becomes softened and then applying endwise pressure. This pressure unites the ends and at the same time raises a bur or enlargement at the weld.

The clamps of the welding apparatus are typified by the square figures in dotted lines, Fig. 3.

It is obvious that instead of forming the loop from asingle piece of metal, Figs. 1 and 2, shorter pieces might be taken and the joints made at two parts, a b, Fig. 2, these joints being formed successively or at the Same time, as desired.

The loop formed by electrically welding the These ends ends of a piece of wire bent to the desired form, as just described, is doubled or bent into the form shown in Fig. 4 to make a link of the chain. At the same time the two sides of the loop are pressed together, as at c. The bur or enlargement at the joint is located, as shown, at the opposite end of the loop. Another loop like Fig. 3 is then threaded through the link, Fig. 4, and bent as before, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the operation being repeated to make a chain, as represented in Fig. 5.

The joint in the bent piece of wire might be in the side instead of in the end of the loop, as indicated in Fig. 7. The loop being bent, as before, to make the link there would result a link like Fig. 8, different from Fig. 5 only in the fact that the bur is at the opposite end of the link, where the two sides of the loop have been brought together.

By grasping the ends and twisting the link, Fig. 8, ninety degrees a fiat link with two of the sides of the loop or links crossing at the center, as indicated in Fig. 9, may be produced.

By successively threading the loops like Fig. 8 and then twisting each ninety degrees a chain like Fig. 10, with links like Fig. 9, may be produced.

Fig. 11 represents a link made by twisting the link shown in Fig. 8 one hundred and eighty degrees instead of ninety.

Fig. 12 shows a chain made of such links in obvious manner. This chain is artistic as well as very strong. The chain represented by Figs. 5 and 12 has the advantage of being smooth. Thus there are no decided angles and the chain may slip readily through the hands like a rope. By twisting the double loop so as to cause the sides to cross at or near the center, as in Figs. 9 and 11, a chain may be produced that will keep free from kinks, the cross in the center preventing undue play of each link.

The bur made at the joint of the loop by electrically welding and upsetting the metal at such point acts as a centering device to keep the links in proper place to prevent kinking.

I do not limit myself to forming the bur at the joint of the loop, but prefer to make it at such point, since it can be readily made in the operation of producing the electricallywelded joint.

It is obvious that the bur or enlargement might be formed at the point desired by includin g the section of metal at such point between the clamps of an electric-welding apparatus so that the current will pass through and heat the metal to plasticity, and then applying the end pressure which will upset the heated metal and form the bur or expansion.

hat I claim as my invention is- 1. A chain, the links of which consist of electrically-welded loops bent or doubled and having a bur or enlargement located at the end of the link and made of the upset metal of the loop. 1

2. A link composed of a metal loop doubled and twisted so that two of the sides will cross it at or near the center.

A chain consisting of links each formed of an oblong loop whose ends are united bya butt-weld and sufficiently upset to form a bur and then bent at the middle to bring the ends of the loop side by side, said bur being at one of the bends of the link and each succeeding link being threaded through its predecessor and resting in engagement with said bur.

4. A chain, the links of which consist of metal loops electrically Welded, as described, and bent or doubled with the bur at the point of the loop located at the point of connection with the next link of the chain.

Signed at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, this 12th day of April,

CHARLES E. HARTIIAN. lVitnesses JOHN W. GIBBoNEY, MABEL H. LooBY. 

